Springy story review: "Melancholia in Bloom"

Why it springs to mind: Aging parents, caring for loved ones with memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer's — plus magic.

Title: "Melancholia in Bloom" (2013)
Where read: Daily Science Fiction (Friday, June 28, 2013)
Length: 3,226 words
Summary: A woman uses magic to cope with memory loss.
Memorable: The juxtaposition of the mother's and daughter's points of view — the mother struggling with her own memory loss and the daughter losing touch with her mother.
Quote:

"Memories are the real magic, perhaps the only pure magic left in the world. Hold them tight as long as you can."

Personal attachment: As a volunteer who has cared for people with dementia, I love how this story includes the perspective of the person losing their memory and that it's a fantasy story on the theme.
Pairs well with: Beyond Forgetting: Poetry and Prose About Alzheimer's Disease
About the author: Damien Walters Grintalis' stories have appeared in magazines such as Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Strange Horizons, Interzone, Fireside, and Lightspeed. Her debut novel, Ink, was released in December 2012 by Samhain Publishing. Here's a list of her stories published in 2013.

Comments

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